A blog about architecture, art, public spaces, music, food and travel.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

AWESOME: The Ubahn & SBahn

So, for 52€ a month I can go anywhere in Berlin from my home station (above) that I want. How awesome is that? I have noticed that the air smells just like the air in other subway systems I have traveled on. I find it oddly comforting. Kudos to the tagger who was able to stay within the lines.

The trains here really do run on time.

Reading the history of these systems, I learned the Ubahn was originally run by West Berlin, and the Sbahn by the East. When the communists built the wall, that changed of course, and the East also installed a big system of street trams that I have yet to use - but I'm sure that they will rock as much as the ones in Prague.

In the Alexanderplatz station I ran across these images in a connecting hallway. We met Robin van Arsdale back in the 90s - he was selling (through a gallerist friend) some of his collection of Keith Haring subway chalk drawings and my sister bought one. My parents purchased a piece of Robin's at that event. So it was interesting to randomly come across these two murals from 2003. Notice that many others decided to add to the murals.

I guess it is only fitting that taggers should deface the mural of a guy that started as a graffiti artist....

Lots of cyclists in the subway, and lots of crazy tile colors. I couldn't figure out if these were giant concrete block size tiles, or concrete blocks with glazed sides. Assuming that tile is cheaper and easier to make, I'm going to go with tile - but they are suspiciously the exact size of a block - and those curved corners are suspiciously block like.

Why does this blog exist?

Current City: Tampa, FL

I started this blog to create a discussion on topics that I care about deeply. Art, architecture, public spaces, music, food and travel.

As a recent graduate student wandering about the campus of the University of Florida, I'm was struck by how so many AWESOME buildings are forced to co-exist with the AWFUL ones. At one point in the 1970s, there was a plan to demolish everything built before WWII and build anew. Luckily that was defeated. And so, there are a few serious disasters on campus that reminded me daily of architectural sins past.

There is the genesis of this project, please feel free to play along. I'm offering an opinion, and hope you will too.

Note: You can disagree without being disagreeable. Personal attacks and blue language will get you deleted and/or blocked.

......................................................

I'm an opinionated guy, and an urban planner. I'm quite attracted to New Urbanism, but also think its ridiculous to apply it to suburban development. I love most of the art and architecture of the 20th century, but I generally detest the 1970s. And by The 70s, I mean most of what happened from the so-called Summer of Love to the demise of Jimmy Carter. I'm just old enough to remember the horrors of that decade the first time around.
And yes, my login is a Depeche Mode song.